Chapter One: Flight

The weeds were so tall now that he could barely see the world beyond. Their house-keeping elves and trolls had all either escaped or were tied down to dark activities by the current Lord of the Malfoy Manor.

Draco hadn't seen the sunlight since ages. Sighing, he looked at his hand where the mark showed darkly. It was ugly- that was all there was to it. It was the ugliest mark he had ever seen and what it was capable of doing was a lot uglier than the mark itself.

He hadn't completed the task he was set for last year- although he tried to regret it, he knew that was the only thing he hung on to- he hadn't killed anyone yet. He wasn't a murderer yet- perhaps very soon he would be, but at least for the time- he was alright with that.

Draco got up slowly, following the voices to the Hall. He wasn't surprised by the shrieks now. It happened every day- someone was brought in, tortured and then killed. Draco used to cry at first but he was way past that now. Sometimes, he wondered if he was still a human.

"What is it this time?" He asked Wormtail who was guarding the doors.

"Master had better not go in there- it's for his own good." Wormtail replied with a slight smirk on his face. Draco stared the little rat-like man. He looked perfectly harmless but he was so obliging under power that it had turned him into a horrible creature.

He entered the Hall, wincing at the scream. It sounded like a small girl- Bellatrix must have tortured her. That woman would torture a nine-month old baby and laugh in its face if she felt like it; or if the Dark Lord had asked her to.

There was a whole crowd of people gathered around a small body. His father held his wand in his hand, shivering. Feeling pathetic, Draco went closer to inspect the body.

She was a young child- perhaps just 12 or 13 years old. She lay lifeless on the floor, the last screams of her soul still echoing in the dead hall. There was an aura of sincerity around her, even as her body was getting cold. She looked like she had been the apple of someone's eye. Draco was sure whoever her parents were- they'd be crushed beyond the Cruciatus curse to see their beautiful girl dead. She was beautiful- a soft, pale face, sharp features, a pointed nose... platinum blond hair.

"Who is she?" Draco asked hurriedly, his heartbeats quickening. The room was silent. Bellatrix laughed, rudely torturing the last echo of the girl.

"Who is she?" Draco repeated more urgently than ever. He knelt down before her and looked at his parents. His father's hand was still shivering but he hadn't withdrawn his wand. His mother stood there with tears glistening in her eyes.

"Mother..." Draco began.

"You must have concealed the secret well then!" Bellatrix's voice boomed. "He hasn't known for twelve years!"

"What have I not known?" Draco turned to Bellatrix. His face was pale beyond recognition. "SOMEBODY TELL ME SOMETHING!" He yelled, taking over Bellatrix's voice.

"She was your sister you fool!" A dark voice loomed over his head. Draco felt the instantaneous shock of a spellbinding curse that confirms a horrid suspicion. Unable to get up or move, Draco stared at the girl's face.

"Why?" His voice dropped to a dead whisper.

"She was a filthy squib that's why..." The Dark Lord came out ahead to face Draco but he wouldn't take his eyes off the girl. "And don't look so shocked. I don't suppose you should care much for her- you didn't even know her! Your parents made the right decision I must say. I hadn't even started contemplating on what to do with her but your father here... what a good man!"

"Draco, please try and understand- she would've only brought more troubles to our family!" His mother said in a hushed voice.

"H-how... how didn't I know?" Draco murmured, his expression still reflecting his shock.

"We'd sent her away to live with an elf in a dark house beyond the boundaries of our walls." Lucius explained.

"Why now…?" Draco questioned.

"With these dark times and the war around, we all thought it was best to kill her." Bellatrix said simply. "We didn't want her to get out- she was getting so big anyway."

Draco got up and faced his parents. "All because she was a SQUIB?" Draco thundered, shaking Bellatrix out of her pleasant trance.

"Draco, try and understand... she was nothing to us..." Narcissa began. But she couldn't hide the distress in her voice.

"I had a sister for 12 years and I was kept in the dark about all this?" His voice rose so high that he feared for a second the Dark Lord might kill him. But the fear went as quickly as it came.

"Draco, you are our son- our only child. She was nothing to us." Lucius said soothingly.

"How could you murder your own child?" Draco cried, suddenly going very red with all the negative excitement. "She was your own blood and flesh!"

Nobody answered that. He looked around to see that the Dark Lord had left the room very uninterestedly.

"What was her name?" Draco asked, his face turned back to the dead girl.

"Melissa…" His mother whispered.

Tears welled up in Draco's eyes. He turned and fled from the Hall, ignoring everything and everyone around him. He ran so fast that things blurred. Footsteps and voices hit his ears like sharp pins. Bursting into his room, Draco shut the door and looked frantically all around the room. Something- anything good… Finally laying his hands on his long drawn wand, Draco shut his eyes. He couldn't think clearly but something came into his head as he stood and concentrated beyond the confusion of noises beyond the door.

Brick-red houses, fresh grass, the sweet aroma… Determinedly Draco gripped his wand and disapparated out of the Magical World.